Landlord’s Guide to Airbnb Accidents and Injuries
In just a few short years, Airbnb has become a highly sought-after accommodation choice for travelers worldwide. The company claims to provide a one-of-a-kind travel experience with the comforts of a home, as the platform was founded as a way for people to offer their private homes and properties for short-term rentals.
Along with these homely comforts comes risk. Many landlords store equipment, specifically bicycles, in their Airbnb rental properties, not knowing that their guests may borrow bicycles for transportation. Many travelers find it easier to bike around town when visiting a new city, rather than renting a car. However, accidents do happen and the guests may be injured when they use a bike provided at the Airbnb property.
Most claims would be covered under premises liability law, a subset of personal injury law. Premises liability law is based on the idea that property owners have a duty to official guests on their property to get rid of hazards that may cause an injury. Nonetheless, not all injuries on a property are the fault of the landlord. However, if the landlord creates or allows a threat to exist without resolving it, they may be liable. For instance, a landlord’s negligence to install or maintain required smoke detectors could allow for a risk that causes a fire. If a fire were to arise, a guest could also sue for destroyed or damaged property.
Airbnb landlords should be aware that most standard homeowner’s insurance policies exclude rental business activities. You can check with your homeowner’s insurance provider to be certain.
Most major hotel chains have special business insurance to cover damages caused by guests. However, that insurance may be costly for a casual Airbnb user. Luckily, Airbnb does provide some guarantees to its hosts. Host Protection Insurance is to protect landlords against third-party liability claims. That involves bodily injury claims that may be filed against hosts by guests and property damage claims that may be filed against hosts by landlords. But there are exceptions to this. It only covers the building itself and it does not cover damage to any personal property within the building, like furniture or bicycles for rental.
Airbnb’s Host Guarantee is not insurance; rather, it’s a guarantee saying the company will compensate any property damaged or destroyed by a guest for at least $1 million. But there are some exceptions to this. The policy is complicated, and most Airbnb clients who’ve been forced to deal with the process tell stories of inattentive claim handlers, red tape, insufficient compensation, and many more.
You may need to hire a lawyer to actually receive Airbnb’s Host Protection.
If there is one thing you take away from this article, it’s that you should avoid keeping any bicycles or transportation equipment at your Airbnb property. However, this article is not legal advice. Hiring a personal injury lawyer might seem like a huge step for an Airbnb case, but it is highly recommended to hire a lawyer whenever a personal injury is involved.
If you have questions regarding potential liability or recovery for injuries in a claim or lawsuit against an Airbnb, call San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer Christopher Villasenor to help you with your next steps.
Call Us Today: 619-375-2956
Email Us: cvillasenor@sdlawfirm.net